Software engineers are some of the most priviledged workers in the west when it comes to compensation and perks. We need to stop talking about them like they are road construction workers here on HN. it is really out of touch
It's not a zero sum game, and I totally side with other professions to fight for decent working compensations.
God knows the rich won't ever pay their fair share.
> Somehow in the UK, someone needs to accept that they're worse off and stop trying to maintain their real spending power [...]
You're both totally right that giving people enough money to live might increase the inflation. But that's not an option people are (rightly so) going to be happy with. "Just be miserable" is not a plan.
The current situation is completely absurd.
In addition there also is no skin in the game here, over-hiring or other blunders on core leadership competencies don't matter at all as long as "shareholder value" isn't negatively affected in the short term.
I've been one of the people hurt most by this, and I'm not happy about it either. Software Developers doing mental gymnastics to align themselves with the investor elite instead of their fellow working class Americans is some shit.
It's important to remember that if you're working for a living, you're still working class.
They do work in some sense. They manage resources and dispense expertise from time to time...
> own moderate to significant controlling portions of companies
... but it's a gray area because they're also part of the owning class
absolutely not.
"the social group consisting primarily of people who are employed in unskilled or semi-skilled manual or industrial work."
""Working class" is a socioeconomic term used to describe persons in a social class marked by jobs that provide low pay, require limited skill, "
comparing software engineers with factory workers, etc. is incredibly out of touch. Most SE's wouldn't survive a week in hard labor work.
Respectfully, speak for yourself. This isn't as rare, or as difficult imo, as you think it is. I'm speaking from a lot of disadvantage. It is what it is.
> require limited skill
Isn't this site usually full of people whining about smooth talkers with no skill? I know I've whined a lot about that. Also is what it is. The world is only unforgiving to those with narrow perspectives.
Generally, what you do for a living isn't as significant as what you learn and do with the experience gained. It's your choice to commit to what you do, or you can keep growing. Up to you.
> The working class is classically defined as that class which must sell its labour-power in order to survive.[0]
It does go on to define working class as essentially blue collar workers, even highly skilled ones. Which would exclude software engineering.
Though I think it should include anyone for which they aren't earning enough to eventually become financially independent through their labour. This would then include quite a number of white collar workers. Certainly there are software engineers outside the silicon valley bubble for which this is true, especially in parts of Asia and India.
A good litmus test is if you feel you should join a union then you're probably working class and if you feel secure negotiating your own pay then you're probably not any more. Though I doubt this fits a traditional definition of working class.
[0]: https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority...
Most working-class people should get their COL adjustment. It should be easily taken from excess profits from raising prices.